Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Ordinarily, I like to give a good amount of advance notice of any changes we might experience here in the parish, especially when it comes to the weekend Masses. And yet, at times, due to other circumstances, such as scheduling and other events happening, such notice gets considerably shortened. And so, I must apologize if this seems sudden to you, but I have some good news to share about our weekend Masses moving forward.
We are in the process of reintroducing Holy Communion under both species. To say it another way, we are bringing back the opportunity to receive the Precious Blood from a chalice for the congregation. As you may recall, we used to do so prior to the pandemic, but that also means that it’s been just over six years since we’ve last done it. As such, I imagine there may be some trial and error as we figure out the best way to offer this opportunity to our parishioners, so please bear with us as we start out.
There are some beautiful liturgical and theological reasons for offering Communion under both species. From the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, “281. Holy Communion has a fuller form as a sign when it is distributed under both kinds. For in this form the sign of the Eucharistic banquet is more clearly evident and clear expression is given to the divine will by which the new and eternal Covenant is ratified in the Blood of the Lord, as also the relationship between the Eucharistic banquet and the eschatological banquet in the Father’s Kingdom.” In essence, with the offering of both the host and the chalice, we are reminded of the Last Supper in a significant way. But the bread and wine of the Last Supper is much more than a simple meal; they are the elements used to establish the New Covenant with God and His People. And sharing in it, we experience the depths of God’s love and our salvation.
That said, it’s important to remind us all, to receive either the host or the chalice on their own, means we receive Our Eucharistic Lord in totality. In other words, there is no need to take the chalice if you don’t want to. And mindful that some of us may be still a bit uneasy about sharing a chalice in a communal setting, I think it’s important to state as such.
And so, I’m happy that we are making this step and reintroducing the chalice at Mass. That said, we are going to be slow in our introduction, starting with two chalices, one for either side of the church, and with a small amount of the Precious Blood, until we get a sense of how much we really need to accommodate those interested in taking it. Again, there will be some trial and error with this, but I’m grateful for this step forward for our parish.
Peace and Goodness,
Fr. Dan
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